Cory's Game Reviews

First up, the story…

The story follows the ragtag band of pirate-wanna-be heroes. The Guardians of the Galaxy. The whole game takes place from Star Lord’s aka Peter Quill’s perspective and if you’ve read any of the comics or watched the films, you’ll have an idea of how this will go.

After a galactic war that ravaged the galaxy, the gang are just looking to survive and make a proper name for themselves as “heroes for hire”, the Guardians of the Galaxy make their way across galaxies looking to make money any way they can. However, while attempting to capture a monster for a guy called “The Collector”, a small bet between 2 of the crew sets up a huge, destructive chain of events that will possibly destroy everyone in the entire galaxy unless they make up for their wrong doings.

I have got to say from start to finish, the story was excellent! It kept me interested consistently and kept me on my toes with what was going to happen. It made me laugh, it made me smile, it made me stress. No other game recently aside from Cyberpunk 2077 has kept me this invested after returning after so long. I played the rest of the game (about half or so left) over 2 days and couldn’t put it down. I was genuinely sad when I had got to the end credits, well second end credits, you’ll see why. It was such a blast and I will happily play it again down the line with new game plus.

Next up, the gameplay…

The gameplay is absolutely fantastic. That’s my statement.

Let’s start with the combat. It has a combination of shooting and melee, you have Quill’s signature guns which as you progress through the story, unlock new elements in order to stop your foes and get around. There are 4 element types: ice, fire, wind and electricity, these can lead to so many different ways to fight as well as some enemy types that counter one of them so you have to work out which element works best for taking them down. The combat is simple enough to learn and you can use the rest of the guardians to help you out when you’re in a pinch. They rant and talk during combat with some funny one liners that really crack you up. In addition to this, the player can activate a team huddle which makes everyone invulnerable for a limited time and boosts their damage while playing one of Quill’s songs. More on that later.

Next up, the game is a third person action adventure game that allows you to explore around the various environments you go through on your heroic adventure to save the galaxy. Using Quill’s signature helmet/ visor, you can search throughout environments for the vast array of collectibles and trinkets as well as costumes to collect to spice up your guardians. They often give you bits and pieces of lore to read and further push yourself into this universe.

In addition to collectibles, there is an upgrade system in which you can improve not only Star Lord’s abilities but also the rest of the Guardians. You collect materials as you fight and search which for example, will allow you to give the characters new powers in combat such as Rocket’s gravity grenade which enables you to stun enemies in the air in order to shoot them while they’re down… well… up? This gives the player an incentive to replay the story and go back for anything they missed or didn’t unlock. The game isn’t too difficult either and has several difficulty modes so anyone can play. The character interactions are awesome as well and the really makes you feel like you’re apart of this group. I don’t want to spoil it as it is just an amazing thing to witness.

So what are the graphics like?

The graphics are superb. Really in your face with the colours and has this whole otherworldly (literally) feel. As you zip around levels and galaxies, the game goes for the typical Marvel bright colour pallet that they used for Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I adored that film! You’ll visit many beautiful planets and the game often gives you time to just stand there at key points and take in the beauty of this fantastic game world. There are some really beautiful shots that you will 100% want to screenshot.

Oh Cool, a new Awesome Mix!

So, the music is perfect. It has to be for a Guardians of the Galaxy game. It is a part of Quill. With his signature Walkman Cassette player, every time you use a team boost, an iconic song plays such as “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Take On Me”. This fits perfectly with Quill’s personality and really adds more of a tone to those chaotic moments. The game plays the right sort of orchestral tone when it is needed to add further tension to those moments in the story. The developers did a great job with the pacing of the music, not adding one of Quill’s songs to those serious movements but adding it at the right time such as death flight into the villains ship.

My final thoughts…

I can safely say now I have beaten the game that it is 100% worth your time, especially if you’re a marvel fan. The world, these characters, the plot and graphics really draw you in and will keep you there until you beat the game. It’s especially worth it now as the game is often on sale for as low as £15, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and save the universe, be awesome!